Wikipedia:Adopt-a-User/Adoptee's Area/Experiences

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This is the page for our Adoptees to relate their own experiences with the Adopt-a-user program, what they found good or bad about their Adoption experience. Of particular interest is how to get the best out of your adopter and how to improve the program in general. Feel free to comment and ask questions on each one, but remember this is not a talk page, so keep to the point. Also this page will be organised in a subject order, and may be formatted from time to time to allow for ease of reading.

For immediate or urgent problems – please leave a message at Wikipedia Talk:Adopt-a-User.

Contents 1 Getting most out of adoption 2 Absent adopter 3 Suggestions for an improved service 4 Another point for "What Adoption Is"

[edit] Getting most out of adoption

As an adoptee by Lethaniol the uber-adopter himself, I got a great deal of help and encouragement from him. I guess the Number One thing an adoptee should remember is that there is really no question to simple or to involved for your adopter. I have asked Lethaniol some embarrassingly simple questions, I have also asked him some questions that have almost stumped him. I suspect that he had to get some help with templates, but there's no evidence of it.... 8^) -Dan (AKA NDCompuGeek 10:30, 20 December 2006 (UTC))

[edit] Absent adopter

Hello everyone, I’ve been recently adopted by a very nice and helpful adopter, but the problem is that he’s paying very little attention to me. I was adopted over a month ago and so far he responds to my queries after an average of 3 to 4 days, last massage was posted a week ago, and to this moment didn’t receive an answer. The adopter is very kind and informative, but since I’m here almost everyday I’d rather have someone more available to adopt me. I don’t know what I can do about it, I don’t want to offend my adopter. Does anyone have any suggestions? By the way, at this point I’d prefer to stay anonymous, thank you. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.230.191.25 (talk) 22:43, 16 December 2006 (UTC).

My suggestion = explain to your adopter that though they are really helpful, that because they are not on all the time, but you are, that you would like a co-adopter (a second user to adopt you), so you can ask that user a questions if the other is not around. A number of adoptees have more than one adopter - either to help out a new adopter, or because an adopter is not around all that often. So if you want a second adopter - just put the Template:Adoptme back on your userpage, check with any new adopter that they are on regularly, and away you go. Hope that helps :):) Lethaniol 23:57, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

What is your adopter's name? Basketball110 (talk) 03:58, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Suggestions for an improved service

As for the "Adoptee's Experience page", I wholly support the idea. Remembering that we're newbies, some of the suggestions might be somewhat simplistic (like: have online "classes", or have a dedicated IRC channel [with a tutorial on how to use IRC]....) to involved (like: develop a real-time way to converse with the adopter, possibly through MSN or Yahoo Chat or something like that, or have a database of prewritten answers to the common questions, something along the lines of a FAQ but maybe more involved....). Some users are newbies to the Internet in general, some of us have a lot of Internet experience but are new to the Wiki community. -Dan (AKA NDCompuGeek 10:30, 20 December 2006 (UTC))

Perhaps adopters can give personal contacts to adoptees through email. --Deryck C. 09:01, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Another point for "What Adoption Is"

Adoption is also a chance to make an experienced friend on Wikipedia. True, the relationship of "Adoptee" and "Adopter" might not be forever, but the chance to make and keep a friend so early in your Wikipedia lifetime is priceless. Use this opportunity to build a relationship with your adopter, not just asking him/her for technical questions, but also to get to know him/her. You'll be better for it! - NDCompuGeek 21:02, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Thats an excellent point. Don't forget also that Adopters can learn from Adoptees! One of my adoptees has taken to Wikipedia like the proverbial fish to water and is now involved in areas of the project that I have little experience in. I have no doubt that I will be consulting him for assistance before too long. Rockpocket 08:02, 2 January 2007 (UTC)